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Friday, 23 December 2016

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It has been a great month for me and the shop. I really thank you all, from my heart for supporting Swedish House Crafts in this short time. There are lots of fun coming in the future and lots of activities. Just let's hope 2017 has 48 hours per day, lol!

Now let's talk free stuff!

GIVEAWAY 1:

This time there is a beautiful kit of Swedish dies, stamps and paper. That's not all, there are embellishments too to complete the joy of winning! The value of the kit is over £25 in total.

GIVEAWAY 2+3:

A second and third winners will be chosen for a gift card £15 each to spend on the shop, valid one time purchase.

GIVEAWAY 4+5+6, and HOW TO ENTER:

If you like to play games then this is for you. I have hidden this imagein 3 products in the shop!! Find it and win that product or choose another product at the same price. How? When you find the image, copy the link of the product and paste in the blog comment. One link per person, one winning per person. First 3 to find the image and comment with 3 different product links win. If links are doubled in several comments, the first to comment is the winner. The winners will be announced immediately once I see the comment with the right link, you can let me know on Facebook directly too.

ADDITIONAL GIFTS:

Besides that, the giveaway craft kit winner and the image game 3 winners will receive additional 15% discount code valid once, to spend in the shop for you or for a friend of your choice.

If you have any questions, surely do not hesitate!

If you like to check out the prize closely here is a link to each item in this giveaway.

HOW TO ENTER GIVEAWAY 1+2+3:

Follow this blog and like our Facebook page.
I made it easy to follow and like by integrating the buttons in this post so you do not need to go anywhere else!
Now to make sure everyone fairly enters and no one gets missed, fill in the form for automatic draw. Please make sure to stay following and liking to the end of this giveaway so your name stays in the draw entries.

Thursday, 15 December 2016

This is a pack of gorgeous themed large amount of 'Magnolia Stamp' dies. It is just a remarkable pack. You won't find those dies separately other than the Early Bird one is you miss buying it by the Early Bird dates. The amount of dies easily exceeds 12 pieces. If you buy 12 pieces dies from Magnolia It would cost you at least £10 each. Beside that, you receive a detailed tutorialised magazine with fabulous images and short direct descriptions. It is just worth it.

The Doohickey Clubs comes out several times a year. When you buy Early Bird you get one extra die/die-set with no extra charge. Then Magnolia informs us when it comes out and ship it to us. We ship it to the our customers when we receive them free of charge.

WHY BUY IT FROM SWEDISH HOUSE CRAFTS?

Because we tend to spoil our customers often!! When you buy this item you will receive one other item from the shop FREE, the price doesn't matter, and guess what? YOU CHOOSE IT YOURSELF!! All you have to do is add a link or name of the product, you wish to get for FREE, in the text box in the option shown up.

That is not all. You will also receive another pack of goodies from Swedish House Crafts!!

Note that this offer ends on the date the magazine is out for shipping.

Book it now because it is a worthy bundle of cuteness extremism!!

Limited stock available.

EXAMPLES OF EARLIER VOLUMES:

WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT:

The magazine you book and pay directly. We will inform you when it is ready for shipping. You will receive the magazine, the item you chose for free and the goodies bag all together and free of charge in signed and tracked postage.

EARLY BIRD NOTICE:

The Early Bird date passed since 30 November 2016. However, book it now and you will get the extra die free. This means if you buy the magazine from anywhere else you are not going to get the extra free die that comes with the Magazine. Let's say another treat.

Saturday, 3 December 2016

Looking back into my files I found this sleeping beauty tutorial images that I thought I lost while cleaning my files. I really hate when I loose files and images, but how lucky I am today and I hope you find it easy and useful.

This tutorial is about using Prismacolor pencils with White Spirit. It dissolves colours to show transparency. Great for easy shading. In other countries it is called mineral spirits, turpentine and other names like petroleum. You can use it mainly to dissolve non-water based paints, like oil colours (non-water based ones) and wax based too like Prismacolors and Derwent Soft colour pencils which are alternative to Prismacolor pencils. Don't forget Spectrum Noir pencils too. If would like more information about it you can google it out.

let's start...

Here I used Simply Gorjuss stamp on regular Daler Rowney watercolour paper. I stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink pad. It is important to use water-resistant ink for the stamp, alternative to Versafine is Archival ink, Memento and all ink pads that is confirmed to be water-resistant.

Remember that it is ok if you don't get it at the beginning because this tutorial is repetitive and I am pretty positive you will understand it at the end.

The Skin:

I used Prismacolor Peach (PC939). I started with drawing a wide line around the face, then I damped the edge of the paper stump in the white spirit. With a circular motion over the coloured area dragging the colour to the white area. The dragged colour get lighter and lighter as it is dissolving. The circular motion prevents the colour from forming unwanted lines. Now the paper gets wet. You need to wait until the dissolved colour spreads on the area as it continues to dissolve until it dries, just seconds we are talking about here. Look here in the two images: the one to the left was taken immediately after colouring and the area was totally wet. There image on right is about 20 seconds after.

Now the face colour has settled down this is final result. You can add some rosy colour for the cheeks. It always depends on how much colour you add and how much soluble you add, it is a relative relation that you need to balance, this is what most beginners miss. It is learned by training anyway, so keep training and you'll be just fine. Repeat this on the hands.

Let's say the colour didn't spread totally, and coloured area was completely dry with lots of white space that you didn't like. You can fix it by repeating the process but colour in a closer area and very light pressure so not to add much colour and disturb the gradient.

The Hair:

The hardest part is how to shade a wavy hair. Gorjuss stamps tell you how to shade from the lines. Here I blended two colours: Dark Brown (PC946) for the dark areas and Putty Beige (PC1083) to the light areas. The stem areas usually are the dark areas and the bumps are light. This is not always the case but usually this works just fine. Here in the image you can see that I coloured them leaving a white space between the two colours. Then with the damped paper stump I dragged the Dark Brown towards the Putty Beige and when I am done with all darks I used another stump and dragged the Putty Beige towards the Dark Brown, to prevent colour contamination. Alternative, you can start with the light colour and then do the dark with the same stump.

When using the stump on hair, you do not need to go in circular motion because if lines show then this is hair lines. About the lines, it depends usually of the paper you use, lines show less on watercolour paper.

The result of the hair when it completely dired and blended.

Clothes:

The colour to the jacket was Periwinkle (PC1025). You can use any other colour if you like.

The same way, I drew thick lines as I wished to have dark and in circular motion I dragged the colour around. You can see clearly where I drew the lines and how it ended. You can notice the difference of shading and this is caused of multiple lines and blending times as I did each area separately to focus on one area each time. By saying area I mean the close space; each arm is an area, upper half of the jacket is another area and so on.

Using Olive Green (PC911) and drawn lines on the trousers.

Then again I dragged the lines from dark to light area and this I did on both sides. I mean that you drag the dark colour to the middle of the white and then from the opposite side and again to the middle of the light area. that is how you keep the light are lighter.

By now, you may have got the idea how it works and this is in general is the tutorial about. The following is just extra explanation:

The Watch:

Using metallic pencils is challenging. So creating illusions is easier. I used Silver (PC949) and Metallic Gold (PC950) to create it. Here in the image it does not show clearly the metallic effect unfortunately but it is clearer in the final image down.

The Background:

I used True Blue (PC903) to colour the background in extremely light pressure. and I used again the Dark Brown for the floor. I added a darker line to set a difference between the floor and the background. In circular motion I blended the background but not the ground, you can guess how I did it by now, right?

Then I added more details to the image where it was needed and here it is ready.

I hope this was enjoyable tutorial. Subscribe for more tutorials with other pens and much more.

Items Used:

The materials are from different stores. You can also find them in your local art supplies. The White Spirit is not the same manufacturer that I used but it doesn't matter it is the same and this one is high quality. Some of the items are now on sale in those shops.

Sunday, 27 November 2016

I have exciting news about new sponsorship to a number of beautiful challenge blogs throughout 2017. Get challenged, upload your beautiful work and WIN! I am very happy to sponsor the following blogs throughout the year and nearly every month.

Check out the blogs here:

Allsorts is weekly challenge blog posted every Saturday with worthy prizes sponsored by great companies and shops. It's my pleasure to stand by them and sponsor Allsorts. Click on the image to visit their blog.

Penny Black challenge blog, a great monthly prize is made. Thank you Penny Black for letting us sponsor our shops. Besides that you get a chance to become a guest designer if you use Penny Black or stickeroo products. Worth looking into and participating. Click on the image to visit their blog.

As for Stamping Sensations, there is a monthly challenge. It is well prized and worth it. Click on the image to visit their blog.

I will be posting each time a challenge I sponsor starts and I will also post the winner and the prize when the winner claims it.

You will find those blogs on the side of SHC blog at anytime you wish to access them.

Swedish House Crafts will continue sponsoring good faith blogs and wish you all great crafting.

Friday, 25 November 2016

Blogger of the Month (BoM) is here for the first time ever in the world of Design Team anticipating. This is a new concept of DT blogging where the blogger is in total control, gain with no obligations. It is totally different than any traditional Design Team calls ever.

Craft bloggers are the manufacturers' soldiers of the net! In real life, bloggers are people who spend time and energy to make lots of beautiful creations, tutorials, great photography, great videos and generate a very sweet communication patterns that makes us love them. They deserve recognition. In return of the many favours I have created the BoM concept. It is great for small businesses and useful for growing bloggers to spot lights on, reach new readers and get appreciated.

Each month, a chosen blogger will tell us about herself. The blogger will choose what she wants to share with us on SHC website and social media. Connect with more people.

First, who I am and what is SHC:
My name is Suha and I am the owner of SHC, creator and manager. It is a little online shop for crafting items designed in Sweden mostly. In fact all dies and stamps in the shop are Swedish manufactured. The shop has started to grow recently. Things happen quickly and I am getting very busy. I noticed hands growing out of my sides, using them to do everything myself.

I am also planning online short classes to take place during 2017. I have lots of plans and activities in the future. This means I will need lots of people to get involved! Lucky me you all out there are my saviours!

My perspective is, having an online shop is one thing and being part of an online society it another. Being thankful to all customers and bloggers is essential to me. I do not exist without you. Therefore I am reaching out fellow bloggers in the crafting industry to apply for the BoM or share the word and encourage great bloggers who you think they deserve a spotlight to apply. You are not necessarily a well-known blogger. That's the point of BoM, step in the light.

How it works:
If you are chosen, for a whole month, you'll have your biography and photo published on your dedicated page on Swedish House Crafts website. You will also have your blog completely embedded into that page and 100% functional. This means that visitors will be able to explore and read your blogposts with all it's functions, affiliates and all links you have on your blog. Your blog, name and links will be shared on SHC social media and blog.

Preferably, your readers are mostly from UK and/or EU but not essential.

Your style is not necessarily like SHC, but in the same line. This is difficult to determine as everyone's reception of creativity is different. However, variety and diverse is one of my favourite subjects!

An active crafting blogger, for papercrafts mainly and more if you like. .

You use or have used Scandinavian products (along with other manufacturers), whether it is from Sweden, Norway or other surrounding countries and you mention in your blog the manufacturers' names.

That's it, if you have the above criteria, you are eligible to apply.

What you will do during the featured month of yours:

You post one little/short blogpost about anything related to SHC, it can be blogging about yourself being chosen to be on BoM.

You add a very little linked banner of SHC in your blog during the featured month.

Nothing more.

What is it for you (in return)?

You receive a badge Blogger of the Month to add on your blog if you wish.

SHC offers a generous 25% discount on all your purchases valid from the first featured day and valid 3 months after the featured month is ended (4 months in total).

You can share this 25% discount with 2 friends of yours (in prior arrangement).

You may also receive free item(s) each time you make a purchase. Valid only to your own purchase shipping address and during the featured month only.

Your total control over the content featured as long as it is about you.

Optional: Opportunity to gain extra money.

If you wish and approve, you will be provided with a discount code to publish on your blog for your readers. This code is an identifier of you. Every customer uses this code will get 10% discount. Each complete purchase gives you 5% in return. The code will be valid 1 month, during the featured month of course. This is manually processed and you will be notified and paid during 14 days after the featured month is over. You will be provided evidence or usage.

IMPORTANT:

Applying is made by filling an online form linked down here. Deadline is 23 December 2016. The chosen bloggers will be announced on 29 December 2016. First Blogger to be chosen will be featured from 10 January to 10 February 2017 and so on.

The BoM first season will be running for 6 months. This means I will be choosing 6 great bloggers this time and it absolutely never means that others are less. I will NOT keep record of the bloggers information after the announcement of BoMs is made on 29 December 2016.

So things should be fairly done. I will be choosing purely on a design checklist prepared earlier. You can trust my choice because I am first of all a master designer in the visual field and I know what I am doing. The checklist is private.

By submitting your application you accept all above mentioned.

All applicants receive £5 voucher after the application is submitted.

Open to everyone in the world that fulfils the above mentioned criteria.

If you wish to participate as a Blogger of the Month for Swedish House Crafts follow the link and apply online:

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

I didn't have time with all work to make a detailed card. So again the no time saved my blog day! lol!

Night distressing colours went to background. I made it a bit northern lights effect by using Wink of Stella at the top while the paper was still wet. I dropped water around while tilting the card to create a wavy effect. So it was not a dark night only!

After that i cut 2 hill parts using Lawn Fawn die cut hills. At this point I already spent about 8 minutes. So the buttons where left to add in 1 minute.

That was a quick card. Not all supplies are from my little shop. Here are some of the items I used in this card:

Thank you for reading, if you like it, please check out my shop, YouTube
channel and other social media links that you can find at the top of
the page.

Saturday, 19 November 2016

The main reason we spend long time making one card is lake of previous planning. Usually we go for it and try different things. Here I assure you that in this series all cards are previously planned that the making took only 5-10 minutes to make.

How I plan my making is another process. As a crafting teacher I will be making tutorials in the future for this purpose. Let's learn to save boring time for exciting things.

Back to this card. I used Roxstamps cross stitches dies which are extremely accurate in detail. I passed them forward and back just once in the die cutting machine. The die is high quality and has long life, besides it is easy release one... and cheaper than most nesting dies cuts I have ever seen.

Stamping and die-cutting are time consumable. To make a quick card, it is good to choose easy mounting elements. Here, because I die-cut twice, actually it was the most consumable time of the ten minutes. In less than 2 minutes I pasted the buttons and draw lines. Of course 3D pearls were added at the end.

Supplies in this card are not all available at my shop, but here are the dies and buttons if you like to have a look.

Thank you for reading, if you like it, please check out my shop, Youtube channel and other social media links that you can find at the top of the page.

Thursday, 17 November 2016

So why it takes 8 hours to make a beautiful little thing?Or I guess it is so enjoying that I didn't feel the time. Anyway, today I made a little presenting basket for some sweets or little chocolate bars to invite our colleagues at our work tables. It is always nice to give something on Christmas, and doesn't have to be huge, a little gesture means a lot.

The little card has a Christmas wish inside it and that sweet bit would must make someone happy.

For supplies, I have used lots of elements, I will include the ones I used from my shop and are available for sale.

I cut 2 pieces of the houses and 3 pieces hills. I also cut the sentiments 3 times to create 3 layers.

The hills were put first and then I fitted the houses in between and measured the vertical distances before mounting to make sure they fit the card correctly. I pasted them from the down part of the dies cut and added double sided foam tape under the the upper part of the dies to keep a shadow distance in between. Because it is all in white, this is important.

Finally the card was done in short time. It is always the planning takes time but the making is not.